2023 TRIMARNI GRAVEL SKILLS CAMP

Riding gravel is all the rage these days. Some perks include a change in scenery, being in nature, and discovering new roads and routes. More so, many people are switching from road to gravel biking due to far fewer cars/trucks. Although the chances of experiencing motorized traffic is very small on gravel roads, there's a greater risk of crashing due to the uneven surface under your wheels.

I learned this all too well in 2021 when I had two crashes within a few weeks in my first few months of riding my gravel bike. Although I had fitness to ride my bike, I lacked the skills needed to take my bike off road. Riding a gravel bike off road requires a very different skill set than riding on the road. I'm happy to report that with a lot of help from Karel, not only have I become more confident on my gravel bike (and no more crashes!) but I've also learned how to ride a mountain bike on very technical terrain - and haven't had any major crashes or accidents. 

And not all "gravel" is created equal - neither is tire pressure. There are silky smooth dirt roads and then there are washboard-like roads which will have you bouncing uncomfortably on and off your saddle. Add in climbing and descending, tight turns on loose rocks, deep sand, and peanut-butter clay, you may find that gravel riding is much harder than it looks on social media. Oh and don't forget to add in riding over puddles and water crossings. You never know what you will get when riding off road. Additionally, risk of heat stress, fatigue and bonking is also greater than on the road due to the lack of "convenient" stops to refill bottles and to restock edible fuel.

The purpose of this gravel skills camp is to help you become a safer, more skilled and confident cyclist. The truth is that riding a gravel bike is very different than riding on the road. On gravel, you can't just sit on your bike and pedal, especially when you are riding on sand, mud, loose gravel and roots. Weight distribution and surveying the ground in front of you are very important on technical terrain. Whereas you may be able to get away zoning out and sitting on your road or tri bike while being stiff and rigid, gravel riding requires you to stay relaxed and to react dynamically to the ground under you, so your bike can float freely under you. When you watch experienced gravel riders, you'll notice that they are rarely sitting - there's a lot of standing, hovering, moving the hands into different positions on the handlebars/drops and weight shifting. The key is making small adjustments to stay stable, safe and in control.

This camp will be divided into two distinct sections - developing skills and then applying the skills. You will have the opportunity to work on specific bike handling skills - like body position, descending, navigating curves and turns, riding through water and on single track, climbing, braking and pedaling mechanics. You will also learn about the inner workings of your bike like tire pressure, tire choice and cleaning/maintenance.

By attending this camp, you can expect to learn a lot. By mastering fundamental gravel cycling skills you will be able to feel confident and safe on any type of terrain, while keeping a smile on your face because you are having fun.

Quick Camp Facts

Location: Zirconia, NC and Dupont State Forest

Dates: February 17th - 19th, 2023

LEARN MORE HERE 
GRAVEL SKILLS CAMP

How to improve your gravel biking skills

Last week (while dealing with Madison's declining health) we had two of our athletes in town for a 2.5 day private training camp. The focus of the camp was improving off-road bike handling skills (gravel biking). We also included swim/run training in the camp as our athletes have several triathlons on their schedule. But with their first ever ultra-distance gravel event (150-mile) happening late summer, it was important that our athletes improve their gravel skills to that they can both feel more comfortable, safe and confident when training off-road. 

Although the weather was not in our favor with predicted rain all day on Thurs and Friday (the two full days of their camp), we got incredibly lucky in that we were able to drive to two different locations and entirely miss the rain. Even better, on Thursday we were able to ride in a short sleeve jersey and shorts! 

For Zach and Ashley's camp (husband and wife from Nebraska) we completed the following over 2.5 days: 

Thursday: 
9-10am: technique focused swim 
1:30-4:30pm: Gravel ride near Sumter National Forest, SC
10 min run off the bike 

Friday: 
7-8:30am: Master swim, group workout
1-3:30pm: Gravel ride near Zirconia, NC
30 min run off the bike

Saturday: 
9-10:20am: Run workout w/ hill intervals

Riding gravel is all the rage these days. Some perks include the wider tires, disc brakes, a change in scenery, being in nature, being able to ride on the road and off the road and feeling much more adventurous on two wheels. More so, many people are switching from road to gravel biking due to far fewer cars/trucks. Although the chances of experiencing motorized traffic is very small on gravel roads, there's a greater risk of crashing due to the uneven surface under your wheels. And not all "gravel" is created equal - neither is tire pressure. There are silky smooth dirt roads and then there are washboard-like roads which will have you bouncing uncomfortably on and off your saddle. Add in climbing and descending, tight turns on loose rocks, deep sand and peanut-butter clay, you may find that gravel riding is much harder than it looks on social media. Oh and don't forget to add in riding over puddles and water crossings. You never know what you will get when riding off road. Additionally, risk of heat stress, fatigue and bonking is also greater than on the road due to the lack of "convenient" stops to refill bottles and to restock edible fuel. 

The truth is that riding a gravel bike is very different than riding on the road. On gravel, you can't just sit on your bike and pedal. Weight distribution is key on technical terrain, especially with turning, braking and descending. With gravel biking, there is a lot of weight shifting that should occur efficiently and smoothly. Whereas you may be able to get away being stiff and rigid on a road bike, safe gravel riding requires you to stay relaxed. For your bike to float freely under you, you need to become the suspension of the bike to absorb the bumps under you. When you watch experienced gravel riders, you'll notice that they are rarely sitting - there's a lot of standing, hovering, moving the hands into different positions on the handlebars/drops and weight shifting. The key is making small adjustments to stay stable and in control. When it comes to turning, this is very different than riding on the road. On a paved road, what you need to do to turn is the complete opposite of riding on gravel. 

Similar to the road, you need to go easy on the brakes. When you squeeze on your brakes, your wheel is not free to roll. Depending on how quick and tightly you squeeze your brakes - and the position of your body - there's risk of washing out, losing control or flying over your handlebars. Learning how to brake on and off road (and the braking power of your brakes) is one of the easiest skills to learn to improve your safety. 

When you are riding off road, it's easy to get distracted and enjoy the scenery around you. While this is easy to do on smooth surfaces, I find that gravel biking requires a lot more mental energy as I am constantly scanning 10+ feet ahead of me to find the best line. And when I'm descending, there's a lot of adjustment to find the right body position to safely navigate down a hill, especially if there are deep piles of gravel or sticky sand/clay. 

Lastly, unlike on the road where you can comfortable ride with your preferred cadence, the key to off road biking is to keep up the speed, which often means pedaling with a higher cadence or a bigger gear - both can feel uncomfortable if you haven't trained yourself to ride with variable cadences (high cadence can cause great cardio stress and low cadence can cause great muscular stress). There are some scenarios where you will feel like you are pedaling and going no where. Learning to pedal at a high cadence, with great power, while also keeping your grip loose and letting the bike autocorrect is a skill that takes time to master. 

Ashley and Zach did an excellent job at their gravel riding camp (no falls!). They tackled all types of conditions from crushed gravel and light sand to thick peanut-butter-mud and washboards. Karel did a great job on helping with water crossing do's and don'ts as well as climbing and descending skills. The biggest takeaway was not to tense up and to just sit on the saddle but to relax, move the body and let the bike flow under you. 

If you are interested in improving your gravel or road riding skills, we have a few slots left for our April bike skills/climbing camp. You can find out more here. 

Every Trimarni camp is guaranteed to include farm animals. 

Embarrassed by failure

 

I feel like a failure. 

After tackling some pretty extreme conditions during my first few gravel rides - snow, ice, mud, water - along with completing a 72 mile group gravel ride with a group of fast and skillful guys and then a 104 mile muddy gravel event, I am embarrassed to say that I've now crashed twice on my gravel bike...in the past 8 days.

Last Saturday was an unfortunate accident where I hit a deep hole during the Sumter Forest Gravel race and with the impact, my handlebars flipped forward, which caused me to lose control. I was able to "softly" land on my left side with only a small road rash on my hip and knee. However, upon the impact of my chest on the bike frame when hitting the hole, I must have bruised my ribs in my right chest. The road rash healed nicely after a few days but I was still experiencing uncomfortable pain in my chest while swimming. Although I had tenderness in my chest while biking (less while running), working out always made it feel better and it remained somewhat tolerable for the hours post exercise. 

Nonetheless, I was excited to get back on my gravel bike this past weekend. Although I was extra cautious, I didn't find myself riding with fear or worry. I was just being careful and keeping my distance from Karel and Alvi so that I could see what was ahead of me. Around 27 miles and just under 2 hours into our 67 mile gravel ride in Greenwood, SC. I found myself on the ground again. But this time the crash was much worse as it wasn't a soft landing. Thankfully, my helmet saved my head and I didn't break any bones. I hit a big rock on a flat gravel road. There are no excuses here. I just didn't see it. Again, an unfortunate accident. This crash was more dramatic as I felt myself sliding on the gravel. It knocked the wind out of me. Karel quickly turned around as he heard me scream when I hit the rock. He held my hand as I laid on the ground shaking until I was able to regain control over my breathing. Although I was pretty banged up, my bike was ok and after a few minutes of collecting myself, I got back on the bike and we rode back to the car - another 23 miles and 90+ minutes of riding. My arm and left hip (the same hip that I crashed on last weekend) was burning from the road rash, but I was more embarrassed than anything. 

I didn't want to write about this accident. I take full responsibility for my mistakes. I crashed twice because I didn't see what was right in front of me. I am embarrassed and to be honest, I feel like I am failing at gravel riding. I can't help but compare myself to others and wonder if I should just give up. 

I've experienced plenty of setbacks, obstacles and challenges in my life. Sometimes the right answer is to give up. Sometimes you need to pivot.  

But imagine if every person who failed the first few times just gave up. 

Thomas Edison - "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."
Albert Einstein - “I have tried 99 times and have failed, but on the 100th time came success.”

Although I hold many "expert" titles after my name (exercise physiologist, board certified sport dietitian, author, Ironman female amateur champion, mom of Campy), I never shy away from vulnerability. For many, vulnerability can be seen as a weakness. Vulnerability doesn't mesh well with wanting to come across as strong, perfect and right. But I am not afraid to talk about how I'm feeling, being honest with others and admitting my setbacks and mistakes. 

Let's face it, there's a certain amount of risk in putting yourself out there. The reality is that I have had a few struggles in the past two weeks. It's unlikely that anyone is envious of my gravel journey. But I refuse to paint a rosy picture that my gravel biking journey has gone smoothly. Like in life, we all go through hardships, failure, disappointment, pain and heartache. It only makes sense to share the difficult times along with the successful, happy times. 

Social media is a great place to be inspired and to connect with other like-minded individuals.

Unfortunately, we live in a world where many people have unrealistic expectations of what they should look like, what they need to achieve and unrealistic standards to live up to. If you have found yourself stuck in the comparison trap, I am here to say that not everyone is winning at life. 

Yes, picture perfect moments do exist but they exist amid a reel of behind-the-scene moments. 

Often those embarrassing moments don't get documented or captured.  
Here I am. Vulnerable, real and raw. Being honest and open about my life. 
And right now, I'm certainly in the rocky stage of my relationship with gravel riding. 

                    

Overcome your fear of trying something new

 
Photo: @Supercycling

In life, we are often given the opportunity to try something new or to do something for the first time. 

It's easy to stay in your comfort zone. Or you can face the fear and step out of it. 

Trying something new typically means that there is a chance for failure. 

It's hard, risky and scary to take the leap and to try something new. You may look silly or embarrass yourself. You may have to ask questions. You will feel unsure of yourself. You may feel vulnerable. 

Two months ago I rode a gravel bike for the first time. Last weekend I participated in my first gravel race. Oddly enough, I have found myself looking forward to each riding opportunity as I get to learn new skills. And this came as a surprise to me because my history of bike riding has been filled with a lot of fear any time I was forced to step (or ride) outside of my comfort zone. 

After participating in endurance triathlon for over 14 years, it's has been a really long time since I have done something for the first time. Gravel riding has been a refresher to feel like a beginner again. 

Saying no to trying something new keeps you safe as you avoid any possibility of embarrassment, stress, shame, anxiety or failure.  

Saying yes to trying something new but wanting to master it immediately can set you up for failure and frustration. 

Trying something new is a learning process. You are going to make mistakes. Learning something new is how you grow. It's how you explore your abilities and capabilities. Yes, it can be stressful, fear inducing, humbling and humiliating but when you let go of fear, you can learn to love the challenge of trying something for the first time. 

When was the last time you launched yourself into a new experience?

Don't be afraid to get out of your comfort zone. 

There is a world of opportunities out there. 
Are you ready to take the leap?

It's race week - we're going off-road!

 

Since December 5th, we have been extremely lucky with our weekend weather. We have been able to ride outside every Saturday morning for the past two months. Although a few of those rides were rather cold, drizzly and windy, the weather seemed to always be in our favor. 

This past weekend was a different story. On Saturday morning, it was cold and rainy. Although the trainer is always available for a weather-controlled indoor ride, I craved a change in the routine. Maybe it was meant to be. 

Instead of staring at the wall for a few hours, I decided to start my workout with 30 minutes of mobility and strength (with EC Fit On Demand) and then headed out in the light cold rain for a run on my favorite long run loop. Although I wasn't quiet sure how to dress, I found myself comfortable and happy running in the light cold rain. I listened to two triathlon podcast interviews during my run and found delight in dodging the puddles and feeling the wind in different directions as I made my way out and back on the undulating 11.5-mile loop. To keep with the theme of the weekend (changing things up), I repeated the route on Sunday for two 11.5 mile runs in 48 hours. My legs responded really well to the 2nd run and with a different shoe choice on Sunday (NB Fuelcell) versus Saturday (NB Fresh Foam), I ran much more efficiently on Sunday with a slightly faster pace and an average HR of around 8 beats less on Sunday. I'd call that a successful weekend of quality training! 

Karel and I are really excited for this weekend as we will be participating in our first race of 2021! I came across the Thomasville Clay Road Classic after searching for gravel rides in and around our area. I had just finished my first gravel ride with Karel and was instantly hooked. After showing the event page with Karel, it was an easy decision to register for the 100-mile distance. This will be our first ever gravel "race." Our assistant coach Joe will be joining us and we know of a few other people who will be participating. One of my favorite things about racing is seeing familiar faces. 

I've been asked by a few people if I am giving up triathlon racing for bike racing. My answer is always a quick no. I love the sport of triathlon - especially long distance triathlon training and racing. I love swimming, I love biking and I like running (love/hate relationship with it). But during these uncertain and unpredictable times, I find it really important to explore different racing opportunities - which means using my triathlon fitness for different racing experiences. 

Although I love swimming, biking and running, I really enjoy racing. Although it's incredibly uncomfortable at times and sometimes brings worry, frustration, anxiety and distress, race day is worth getting excited for. I love the community feel of a race, being around other like-minded individuals and escaping the stressors of life for a day (or a few hours) in order to do something that brings you excitement and joy. Competition (or participating in an event) also teaches you a lot of great lessons that you can apply to life. Every race is seen as a driving force and a form of motivation for continued improvement. 

Sport is all about what you make of it. It's all-too-easy to stay in a comfort zone and opt for what's familiar, convenient or comfortable. But with the added weight on our shoulders of whether or not a future race will happen, I believe it's really important to seek out and take advantage of the opportunities that are available to you right now. While it's important not to abandon your structured training for your future events and to also keep yourself safe during this pandemic, it can be a wonderful thing for your mind to change up the normal workout routine and to try new things. 

When looking for a race, consider your current level of fitness and skills and search for something that would slightly stretch your comfort zone. Also consider your safety as it relates to your health. Any race/event that you choose should be something that makes you nervously excited. 

Don't be afraid to step outside of what's familiar to do something that your future self will thank you for. 

Although a systematic training plan will have a certain amount of monotony to produce physiological adaptations, it’s necessary to occasionally break the monotony. Changing up the routine allows you to stay emotionally and mentally engaged. Otherwise, always going through the same motions can increase the risk of boredom and burnout.

Change the sport, change the scenery, change the route, change the isolation, change the need for familiar and comfortable. 

Don’t fear change.
Embrace it.